The need for launching an innovation program depends on the desire to engage employees and encourage them to contribute new ideas that can enrich the business. Although innovation leaders work for achieving corporate goals there can be divergent approach in its implementation techniques.  Strategic planning and analysis are looked upon by the corporate leadership as drivers of innovation programs while innovation leaders harp more on a tactical approach. This gives rise to unwanted stress and tension between the two entities and leadership expectations get misaligned. To give readers a more perspective view about innovation strategy plan the steps to be taken have been discussed in this post.

Goal Setting

The fundamental rule is to have a target or goal for the innovation program that has to be launched. This would give stakeholders and innovation leaders a definite direction towards which all actions have to be directed. It brings a sense of purpose of driving towards a goal for achieving something that is well known to all. What would exactly mean to be successful will be clear to all involved in the process.  Goals are like milestones that can be used for monitoring progress.

Garner Support for the Program

Innovation leaders might have exemplary abilities but they need sponsors for their efforts from other leaders in the business enterprise. Since resources are to be directed towards the program, support from the business leadership is essential.  This would open the gates for employee encouragement and engagement that is very much necessary to drive the program to success. The wider is the support base, the better would be the inputs received and the program would gain momentum from it. Trying to implement the program without mass involvement of the leadership and employees can prove futile.

Dimension of Ideas

Have clear understanding about the type of ideas you are looking for in terms of scope and its size. This would depend on how you want to develop it. Thinking in advance about how ideas might be implemented, it would become easy to gauge the scale and size of ideas that you are going to invite. It is like defining the dimensions of an object’s length, breadth and height before manufacturing it.  In addition, the character of the conglomeration of ideas should also be determined before launching the program.

The Circle of Contributors

The participating groups of idea contributors have to be well thought out.  Will contributors from all across the organization be invited for the program or will it be restricted to some specific groups of employees? Will the program be offered at the unit level or it will be spread across the entire region? Depending on the nature of participants to the program, the activity planning has to be done.

Triggering Ideas

In order to generate new ideas a lot of activities have to be planned that would encourage the participants to apply their best minds.  The activities have to be executed effectively.

Once the ball gets rolling, resources have to be managed effectively in order to drive the innovation program towards the set target.